Adventures of an Autograph Hound Part IV
January 9th, 2013 by chocko
Back in October, Flying Lotus signed his albums at The Brooklyn Flea’s Fifth Annual Record Fair at the Smorgasburg food market. It was a fun, free event where foodies and record collectors rubbed elbows. Chocko got all his FlyLo albums signed. Thundercat was in the house too.
Chocko took the elevator to the Rare Books Room at Strand (828 Broadway) for the first time ever to check out Aline Crumb discuss her upbringing in Long Island, her past work in comics and latest project with her husband, Robert Crumb, titled Drawn Together. Check out the discussion she had with John Heneghan (East River String Band) HERE.
Victoria Roberts took a break from drawing cartoons for New Yorker to stop by Strand in NYC on a December evening to doodle and promote her first novel, After The Fall. Fans lined up in the Rare Books room on the third floor…a recommended stop if you’re browsing for books at Strand. Pictured above is the artist at work and 2 sketches she whipped up.
Professional Wrestling Legend, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka made an appearance at Bookends in Ridgewood, New Jersey recently to promote and sign his book. Originally from The Fiji Islands, Snuka is a wrestling icon who is best known for his high flying maneuvers off the top rope.
Japanese director, NOBUHIKO OBAYASHI made an appearance at The Anthology Film Archives in December to introduce and discuss a program of his underground and experimental short films originally shot on 8mm and 16mm. Around these parts, he is best known for directing House (1977). I brought my DVD with me and got it signed on the way out.
Oliver Stone signed his latest book The Untold History Of The United States at Barnes and Noble in Union Square recently. His latest book is a collaboration with American University professor Peter Kuznic and was released in conjunction with Stone’s documentary series on Showtime.
There was a lively and interesting discussion with contributors of Best American Comics 2012 at McNally Jackson last October. The panel featured Gary Panther and Nora Krug and was moderated by Francoise Mouly (longtime art editor of the New Yorker) who also edited this year’s edition of Best American Comics. A gang of cartoonists showed up to the event including Michael Kupperman, Geoffrey Hayes and Art Spiegelman.
Glen Hansard played some tunes off his new solo album Rhythm and Repose and songs by his band Swell Season at the Barnes and Noble in Union Square. The folks at the store let Glen bend the rules and allowed the standing room section in the back of the seating area to gather around on the stage, creating a fun and intimate event with Glen’s stories and songs. During the signing I asked Glen what his favorite Bob Dylan song was and he obliged with “Ode To Me” and began singing, expecting me to know the lyrics. I just laughed along with him, got my CDs signed, fist bumped and walked away smiling as a believer in the power of music.
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Tags: aline crumb, autograph hound, flying lotus, francoise mouly, gary panther, glen hansard, jimmy snuka, NOBUHIKO OBAYASHI, nora krug, oliver stone, signing, victoria roberts
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Delta Boys (2012) – movie review
January 9th, 2013 by Mr. C
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Director: Andrew Berends
Genre: Documentary on the Niger Delta Militants in the oil-rich region of Nigeria.
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Militants, rebels, freedom fighters, Delta Boys, or Sea Pirates? These are labels that are used to describe the Niger Delta rebellious group of 2000+ who have banded together in the face of corrupt government oppression in the oil rich region of Southern Nigeria. Nigeria is the 5th largest supplier of oil to the U.S. and they produce hundreds of millions of dollars in oil & gas. Nigeria is also the 8th largest exporter of oil on the planet. The question is where is all the revenue from the sale of these resources going to? None of it is certainly going back to the people that are being affected by the environmental hazards. The inhabitants of this region still live in poverty. The average person lives on less than a $1 a day here. There are no good schools, jobs, hospitals, or roads. There is no clean water to drink and the constant flaring of natural gas pollutes the ecosystem. And to add insult to injury, the Niger Delta region also has over 300 oil spills every year thanks to the help of Mr. Shell & Mr. Mobil. Could it possibly mean that the oil companies and the local government are reaping tremendous profits from this business venture while leaving its citizens high & dry?
The director, cinematographer, & basically one man band – Andrew Berends does a noble job with unearthing the story of these freedom fighters – the Delta Boys lead by Tom Ateka affectionately addressed by his followers as godfather. It would seem to be of dangerous proportions to put yourself in harms way to film these rebel forces, these militants that the Nigerian Government would love to eradicate but the director did just that to tell uncover this story. He earned the trust of the Niger Delta patriotic forces in order tell the real tale of why these rebels do what they do. Yes, some of these freedom fighters might be joining the cause because of economics and still others might be in it because they have no where else to go. But the majority of the patriotic forces lead by Ateka seemed to be all in it for what belonged to them, their rights and the basic necessities for advancement in society like education, hospitals, roads, clean water and clean environment. Not to condone it, but you can see why blowing up pipe lines, sabotage flow stations, & kidnapping foreign oil representatives might be part of the equation for those desperate to seek retribution in this region.
Besides following the militants around, the director introduces us to a few personal stories from the village including Mama, a 22 year old who has complications when giving birth with no modern medical care, Chima who gets released from jail looking to reform himself, and of course the godfather of the whole freedom operation – Tom Ateke. The director’s inclusion of these characters added a broad spectrum of lives that are being affected by the greed in the Niger Delta.
Will there be a truce between the freedom fighters and the government? Are the living conditions in this oil soaked region of Nigeria going to improve? The struggle is certainly real but are the motives of some heartfelt? The film answers these questions and comes to a conclusion at the end.
“We have friends, but we have no friends.” – Delta Boys
Get ready to transport yourself into the everyday struggles and to raise awareness about the oil conflicts in the Niger Delta. Delta Boys is scheduled to be released on January 15th on Hulu, Netflix, & Snagfilms! Look out for it!
Note: Andrew Berends is a documentary filmmaker using Kickstarter to fund his project Delta Boys, a recipient of the 2008 Sundance Institute Documentary Film Grant.
Tags: delta boys, documentary
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Puss N Boots played at the Bell House
January 7th, 2013 by Mr. C
(Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, Catherine Popper)
(Norah Jones)
(Catherine Popper)
Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson, & Catherine Popper – the super country gal collective known as – Puss N Boots – formed like voltron in Brooklyn last week to start off their 3 show January residency at the Bell House! I arrived fashionably late to the event as usual driving from the bowels of Central Jersey after work but fortunately I was able to catch the opening act as So Brown performed her beautiful song ‘Dauphin Island’ which paid tribute to the gulf after the oil disaster. Dauphin Island is located just off the coast of Alabama. I first heard this song when Norah Jones covered it at her Prospect Park Show a few years ago. It was plenty nice and inspiring to hear the original. From So Brown’s set, I also enjoyed her hermit song ‘Into the Woods’ and ‘Come Hither’ with special guest Sasha Dobson on vocals. Before the chick-a-billy trio graced the stage though, Minnie Tonka dazzled us with some burlesque to rile up the crowd as her clothing slowly withered down to mere dental floss and tassels!
(So Brown)
With the crowd warmed up a bit, the Puss N Boots crew worked the stage as they got ready to lay down some dirty country smack! Norah provided the lead guitars with her smoke & honey vocals, Sasha let the rhythm hit us on the acoustic guitar/vocals/drums, and Cat provided the thumpin’ bass and clear vocals. Just as I had hoped, Norah Jones didn’t overpower her bandmates with her distinct vocals but instead complimented the group adding a nice spice to the mix of country flavor while walking up and down the electric with some twang! Sasha Dobson actually provided the extra ‘zing’ on the stage as her vocals, spunky personality, and animated self kept things silly & fun on the stage! Puss N Boots played mostly cover songs from the likes of Johnny Cash, George Jones, Doris Day, Wilco, and more! My favorite performances from the night were Leaving London, What does the deep sea say, Shanty Town, & How many times have you broken my heart.
Checkout the sounds of Puss N Boots for two more shows at the Bell House on Jan 17 & Jan 24. Minnie Tonka will also be two-stepping on the stage with some burlesque!
Setlist
Bull Rider (Johnny Cash)
Double Duty
Leaving London
Jesus, etc (Wilco)
Sex
What does the deep sea say? (Doc Watson)
How many times have you broken my heart (Hank Williams)
GTO
In a Shanty In Old Shanty Town (Doris Day)
Don’t know what it means
Anger (George Jones)
Twilight (The Band)
Tags: bell house, catherine popper, country, norah jones, sasha dobson
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Darlene Love and friends played NJ Performing Arts Center
December 24th, 2012 by Mr. C
You might know Darlene Love as one of Phil Spector’s artists from the 1960s performing in a girl group called The Crystals or you might know Darlene when she provided backup vocals to Elvis, Aretha Franklin, Frank Sinatra, Dionne Warwick, Sam Cooke, The Beach Boys, and many others! Hell – some of you might even know Love as she played Danny Glover’s wife in all four of the Lethal Weapon movies! To this day, she continues to bless us with her voice as she remains relevant to her old and new fans alike! She also has been performing her signature christmas tune “Christmas – (Baby Please Come Home)” on the David Letterman Show on the last episode right before Christmas for the last 26 years!
(Darlene Love)
We had the pleasure to attend Darlene Love and friends annual Christmas Show at the NJ Performing Arts Center in downtown Newark last Saturday! And friends included powerhouse vocalists, Mary Wilson (one of the original Supremes) and Cissy Houston (Whitney Houston’s mom)! It was definitely one of the best live concerts that I attended in 2012. The show was so inspirational, uplifting, and fun especially when being performed within the confines of the beautiful and classy NJPAC structure which also holds a very distinct & warm sound.
Besides the smattering of songs to celebrate Christmas cheer, Darlene Love belted out some classic tunes such as He’s a Rebel, Da Doo Run Run, Boy I’m gonna marry, and I know where I’ve been – a song from the Broadway hit – Hairspray! One of my favorite parts of Love’s performance included the medley of songs she rattled off from Roberta Flack and Bill Medley/Righteous Brothers! Her tribute to Marvin Gaye also set the audience into a side to side mellow but groovy frenzy! Next, she introduced her friend who also appeared on the Shindig! musical show that aired on ABC-TV from 1964-1966 — Mary Wilson! Wilson dazzled us with her sparkly dress and powerful vocals! She proceeded to wow us with “I am changing”. Things got really emotional when Darlene Love sang a few bars from a hymn that Whitney Houston often performed- “Jesus Loves Me” before introducing Cissy Houston, Whitney’s Mom. Darlene and Cissy both recollected fond memories from when they worked for Dionne Warwick. Cissy Houston then went on to perform a spine tingling-hair rising rendition of O’Holy Night that got the audience up for an undisputed standing ovation at NJPAC! Cissy’s vocals were powerful and crystal clear, worthy as a voice that preaches god’s teachings with song. She hit the high notes such that it elevated the toupee from my skull! Their is no doubt where Whitney got her singing chops from. Houston’s performance was definitely one of the highlights of the night!
(Mary Wilson singing “I am changing”)
(Cissy Houston preparing to sing “O’Holy Night”)
All in all, the show was pound for pound one of the best collectives of powerhouse voices that I have seen in concert in a long while. Steven Van Zandt was scheduled to be one of the special guests as well but I guess he couldn’t make it. Darlene did sing a song that was written by Van Zandt – “All Alone on Christmas” which she sometimes performs with the E-Street band on special occassions. But yeah – Darlene Love + Cissy Houston + Mary Wilson – I won’t forget this performance!
(Darlene Love in a robe explaining what she does at 5am every morning!)
(Darlene Love shows us what she does at 5am — boxing-aerobics!)
(They are moving to the groove of “Blame it on the Boogie” by the Jackson 5)
(14 year old Ahsan performing “This Christmas”)
(Darlene Love + Ahsan with White Christmas)
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Setlist
Hark the Herald Angels sing
Ain’t that peculiar (Marvin Gaye)
You’re all I need to get by (Marvin Gaye)
Ain’t no moutain high enough (Marvin Gaye)
What’s going on (Marvin Gaye)
killing me softly (Roberta Flack)
where is the love (Roberta Flack)
soul and inspiration (Righteous Brothers)
Mary Wilson – I am changing
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
All alone on Christmas
Joy to the world (Band only)
Boxing Aerobics routine to – Blame it on the Boogie (Jackson 5)
Who’s gonna carry you
Jesus Loves Me (Whitney Houston)
Cissy Houston – O’Holy Night
(Classics)
Wait till my Bobby gets home
Da Doo Run Run
Boy I’m gonna marry
I know where I’ve been (Hairspray)
Ahsan – 14 year old Stevie Wonder prodigy
This Christmas
White Christmas (duet with Darlene Love)
Praise you
He’s a rebel
Christmas Baby please come home
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Tags: cissy houston, darlene love, mary wilson, music, phil spector
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Orlando Graffiti 2012
December 19th, 2012 by chocko
Here are some graffiti photos from a recent trip to sunny Orlando, Florida while taking a break from all the Disney stuff. This graffiti spot is located among some warehouses in downtown Orlando on Central Boulevard.
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Tags: downtown, fl, florida, graffiti, orlando, street art
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LIL FAME + TERMANOLOGY played S.O.B.’s
December 18th, 2012 by chocko
TERMANOLOGY
GRAFH
EA$Y MONEY
LIL FAME a.k.a. FIZZY WOMACK (when he’s producing) and Termanology played S.O.B.’s a couple weeks ago to celebrate the release of their new album Fizzyology. There were a lot of great MC’s on stage to start the show, but business didn’t really start picking up until Cool Hand Lukey hit the stage like a cyclone with his street team pumping up the crowd. The Coney Island MC definitely woke up the hip hop junkies and gave us a dosage of the gritty, good stuff. Termanology came out next along with Statik Selektah on the wheels of steel. The Boston duo of Term and Statik go by the name 1982. Term played some 1982 tracks and his solo material including “Goin Back” and “Watch How It Go Down.” Termanology brought out Queens rapper Grafh who performed a memorable freestyle and his club banger “I Don’t Know How To Act.” Term also brought out Boston MC and ST Da Squad affiliate, Ea$y Money for some time on the microphone to spit a couple of dope verses.
LIL FAME + TERMANOLOGY = FIZZYOLOGY
Term started the Fizzyology part of the show with the rapid fire song “Play Dirty” and was joined by Lil Fame of M.O.P. representing Brownsville, Brooklyn. They went right into “Too Tough For TV” and also performed “After Midnight” the first track and definitely a highlight of their new album out now on Brick Records. Go get it..grimey beats and lyrics-real hip hop! A lot of great tracks including “Play Dirty” produced by DJ Premier and featuring Busta Rhymes and Styles P. Other tracks feature Bun B, Freeway and M.O.P. The smooth, R&B track “Pray For Me” featuring Kira, comes out of left field. Congrats to Termanology for putting out another great album. Chocko’s been a fan of the Boston MC’s rhyming and lyrical skills since the 2005 underground album “Out The Gate” and it was great to see Termanology once again in New York City.
M.O.P. (MASH OUT POSSE)
The night was not over and the show went into extra innings with Billy Danze joining Lil’ Fame on stage for some M.O.P. songs including “Get Yours” from the 2011 album Sparta and the crowd pleaser “Ante Up” which got the whole place jumping and huffing and puffing soon afterwards. Just a couple of requests…a DJ Premier and M.O.P. collaboration album sooner than later and more hip hop shows at S.O.B.’s!
CORMEGA and STATIK SELETAH
A lot of familiar faces in the crowd including Cormega (left) and Statik Selektah (right) who manned the turntables during Term’s sets. Also in the building: Sav Kills, DJ Ronin, Tony Touch and Large Professor. Check out some videos below shot by the Planet Chocko Illegal Alienz Posse!
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Tags: fizzyology, hip hop, lil fame, m.o.p., new york city, nyc, s.o.b.'s, statik selektah, termanology
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80 Blocks from Tiffany’s (1979)
December 10th, 2012 by Mr. C
After some Planet Chocko pump fakes and a few schedule shot blocks, we finally posted up & drop stepped into Spectacle Theater in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn for a late & rainy Sunday night screening of cult-doc 80 Blocks from Tiffany’s. Spectacle is a grassroots DIY movie theater that seats around 30 people. Though small, the space is comfy with stadium seating and seats staggered just perfectly as to avoid pumpkin head blockage! Definitely do make your way down there! The programming at Spectacle often features movies of the offbeat & rare variety! Now back to BronxSploitation…
(Savage Nomad member – FLY with a fly jump kick!)
80 Blocks from Tiffany’s is a well baked, entertaining, & sometimes funny documentary depicting gang life in the Boogie Down South Bronx from the late 1970s. The crews that were profiled were mainly the Savage Nomads (latin and black members), the Savage Skulls (mainly puerto rican), & the Black Spades (African American). Some interesting personalities included president of the Savage Nomads – Crazy Joe, members – Fly, DSR, & Jamal. Frankenstein and Outlaw Manny from the Savage Skulls were also a trip and half! Not to be outdone were former gang members telling their tales of the street including Blackie, Commanche, and Heavy who even drove the film crew around as a personal tour guide! Police Officer Bob Werner who formerly served in the force at the Riverdale section of the Bronx would ask to be transferred to the South Bronx because Riverdale was too quiet and he wanted more of a challenge! Challenge he would definitely get as he ended up in the gang task force in the Boogie Down!
The beauty of this documentary is that the director lets his subjects shine on the screen by allowing them to tell their tales with minimal interjection from the film crew besides asking inquisitive questions.
From watching the film, the consensus from the neighborhood seemed to point fingers to the fact that some of the gangs in the south bronx helped to provide protection for the community and some of the storefronts. But then again, there are many sides to a story which in this case, we only saw one side of the coin. Did these businesses who were protected give any extortion money to these gangs for extra security? Were there ramifications or backlashings from these clubs if you were to speak against them in the movie?
The documentary failed to unearth the underworld of these ‘clubs’ but then again, we shouldn’t be expecting the gang members to spill the beans and incriminate themselves by peppering the film crew with their illegal doings. We did however, find out that the gangs would inhabit the abandoned buildings and sometimes would be paid by the property owners to burn down a building in order for them to collect insurance.
Other really neat footages from the film included riding along with an undercover police van in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx during the daytime to shine the light on the prostitutes and the excellent aerial & rooftop views of the Bronx to reveal the decrepit state and bombed out abandoned buildings. The outdoor block party sequence was also a great display of unity for the community providing food, drink, and dance with cameos by Officer Bob, the Savage Nomads, & other drama that might unfold!
Another fun, but thought provoking scene from the doc were the “reenactments” of real life day to day situations of the gangs like the scenerio when Savage Nomad member – FLY scaled three stories up an apartment building to an open window to steal merchandise as he hoisted down the freshly stolen product on rope to his friends below. I was beginning to think if they were going to show us a realtime stripping of a car that was freshly stolen! Thoughts had me going back to the 1988 movie “I’m gonna git you sucka!”.
All in all, 80 Blocks from Tiffany’s brought back a slap in the face slice of reality with living in the Bronx from the 1970s! If you want a retro boogie down slice without the hype, you have found it! Also, if you like the movie THE WARRIORS then you’ll know what to add to your playlist next!
Tags: bronxsploitation, documentary, mr c, new york
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Social Distortion played Roseland Ballroom NYC
December 8th, 2012 by chocko
MIKE NESS of SOCIAL DISTORTION
Legendary Southern California punks SOCIAL DISTORTION rocked the Roseland Ballroom on October 26th. Touring in support of their latest album Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, Mike Ness (looking like a gangster from the 1930’s) and the crew played new and old songs including Machine Gun Blues, I Was Wrong and Ball and Chain. It was my first time seeing Social Distortion play live and I was beyond psyched to be in the crowd and close to the stage with all the older, gnarly looking punk rockers reliving their glory days. Ness is the only original member left in the lineup which also includes Jonny “2 Bags” Wickersham (rhythm guitar), Brent Harding (bass) and newest addition David Hidalgo, Jr. on the drums. David used to play in another influential West Coast band, Suicidal Tendencies and another interesting fact is his father is David Hidalgo, guitarist and lead singer of Los Lobos. The band is awesome live and their music is influenced by a lot of great artists from Johnny Cash to The Ramones. Their latest album is a straight up rock and roll classic.
LINDI ORTEGA
Canadian native, Lindi Ortega played before Social Distortion hit the stage and definitely won a lot of people over with her sultry voice and songs with country and rockabilly roots. Her set was full of energy and she definitely got the audience pumped up and paying attention during songs such as Little Lie and her cover of Nancy Sinatra’s Bang Bang. There’s more if you’re curious…on her latest album Cigarettes & Truckstops on Last Gang Records. You best believe I’ll be at her show when she comes back to NYC at the end of January. Don’t miss it!
THE BITERS
The Biters from Atlanta, Georgia opened up the evening with a set of party rocking tunes featuring pop-punk influenced by bands such as T. Rex, Cheap Trick and Thin Lizzy. They almost got me fist pumping like a fool. If you are into wild bands with matching Joan Jett haircuts and tight vintage clothes from the 70’s, then the Biters are your band. Rock on!
SOCIAL DISTORTION performing “Sick Boys” at Roseland (10.26.12)
SOCIAL DISTORTION At Roseland 10.26.12. SETLIST
I Was Wrong
So Far Away
Bad Luck
Far Behind
1945
Sick Boy
Machine Gun Blues
Cold Feelings
Bakersfield
Gimme The Sweet & Lowdown
Ball & Chain
Dear Lover
Pleasure Seeker
Black Magic
Company C
Don’t Drag Me Down
Ring Of Fire
Tags: lindi ortega, mike ness, new york city, nyc, punk, punk rock, roseland, roseland ballroom, show, social distortion, the biters
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South X South Bronx – Hip Hop Festival on December 14/15th
December 4th, 2012 by Mr. C
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Old and new hip hop head aficionados who are in tune with the origin of the 5 elements of this urban art form – you DO NOT want to miss out on this event! It’s the SOUTH X SOUTH BRONX – HIP HOP FESTIVAL! SXSBX is a two day festival where organizers and some of the artists that started hip hop culture will drop some knowledge in the classroom while also dropping some science onstage with some live performances by Grandmaster Caz, Grand Wizard Theodore, Sadat X, La Bruja, Rebel Diaz, YC The Cynic, Circa ‘95, Flaco Navaja, RDACBX artists, Boggie MICS Cypher, and plenty more I’m sure! The event will also feature conversations with Afrika Bambaataa & DJ Kool Herc! Best of all, South X South Bronx is FREE! The event will be held at Hostos Community College at 450 Grand Concourse in the South Bronx. For more information go to www.sxsbx.org . See y’all there on December 14 and 15th!
Workshops offered includes:
– History and Art of DJ’ing by Grand Wizard Theodore
– History of Hip Hop Dance by Popmaster Fabel
– Hip-Hop and Activism by Rebel Diaz
– How to make it as an Independent Artist- SkyhookRadio, Allhiphop.com
– Women Warriors: Mujeres en la Lucha- Da Urban Butterflies
– Hip-Hop and Social Media- Circa ’95
– Surviving the Police State- Take Back the Bronx
– S.P.I.T. (MCing/Spoken Word workshop)- Hipnotic
– Latinos in Hip-Hop- Cruz of RDBM & Vida Urbana
– How to Independently Publish a Book- Bonafide Rojas
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Tags: hip hop, south x south bronx
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Bush Tetras at Le Poisson Rouge
December 4th, 2012 by Mr. C
The Bush Tetras performed at Le Poisson Rouge last week to celebrate their “Happy” album release. We’ve seen them play last April at a free outdoor show at Barnard College in Manhattan and we had to get another live dosage of them again!
The Bush Tetras are a funkdoobiest, be like water blend of funk rhythms, punk, & say no to new wave backed with some heavy & distorted guitar riffs by the hands of Pat Place while lead vocalist Cynthia Sley snarls at you pacing back and forth with subtle dance moves that’ll get your bee-hind to feel her rhythm! As the ladies in the front occupies us, Dee Pop lays down the law on the drums in the back as he flows from groovy funk to outlaw punk while Julia Murphy is thumping us softly, dropping us with some fine bass lines! Though the album is named ‘Happy’, the lyrics are far from such and delivered with much visceral punch which makes me happy! The Happy album was originally recorded in 1998 but never released due to record label limbo and follies. Thanks to the Bush Tetras, producer Don Fleming, & ROIR – we get a 2nd chance to feel the funk and grit of a real NYC band! By the way, Don Fleming came out on stage and performed “You don’t Know me” with the Bush Tetras at this record release party. My favorite performances from the set were Motorhead, Page 18, & Can’t be funky!
yeah – Bush Tetras – If you don’t know, now you know!
Set List
Things that go boom in the night
You taste like the tropics
You can’t be funky
Stare You down
Making a mistake
Cowboys in Africa
Motorhead
Page 18
You don’t know me with Don Fleming
Nails
Ocean
Cold Turkey
Too many creeps
(all photos and videos by mr c)
Tags: bush tetras, music, post punk
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Shaolin Warriors in da Bronx!
December 3rd, 2012 by Mr. C
(Bronze masked warriors)
(photo courtesy of the Shaolin Warriors program)
Buddhist Monks from the Shaolin Temple in China rolled into Lehman College in the Bronx last Saturday to perform a dynamic show comprised of kung fu, prayer, control, superhuman feats, athleticism, & acrobatics! The Shaolin Warrior performance was a showcase demonstrating the martial arts of Shaolin and their deep dedication with preserving their art. The high energy show was complimented with a soundtrack that included hypnotic buddhist chants, traditional drumming, some holistic zen tunes, and dashes of electronica to speed up the adrenaline! The dazzling lighting that accompanied the sets added much dramatics to enhance the sequences. The theme of the stageshow “Shaolin Warriors” included a story line of a young boy training to become enlightened as a warrior and his eventual graduation. Of course to support the storyline, the main meat and potatoes or should I say vegetables (for the buddhist in you) of the show highlighted the techniques of Shaolin Kung Fu including the 18 legendary weapons of china, empty hand routines with the display of the animals (Tiger, Mantis, Cougar, Snake, Monkey), Drunken Boxing, fighting with empty hand & weapons as well as performing some amazing acrobatic routines! The troupe also demonstrated some awesome physical feats such as the monk laying on a set of broadswords who was then layered on top with another monk resting flat on a bed of nails topped off with a slab of concrete only to be demolished by a person wielding a sledgehammer! Then there was the monk who was showing off his internal strength by absorbing a few heavy log strikes to his abdomen as the log was forcefully rammed a few times by his mates. Another crazy feat was the monk who placed the tip of a spear under his collarbone as he bent the wooden shaft of the spear met by his resistance. My favorite one of the night was the monk who used a chinese cleaver to cut cabbage which was resting against his abdomen! There was no apparent blood spillage that I could see! This of course was not to be outdone by the monk who was resting belly down on 5 spears acting as stilts!
One of the funniest sequences of the night was when kids from the audience were invited on stage to learn a few moves! It was cute and hella-funny watching the kids mimic the moves and sounds of the monk!
(Kids on stage learning a few moves-photo by mr c)
Overall, the Shaolin Warriors performance was a fun filled show with great choreography and breathtaking imagery but more importantly, demonstrated the unity of zen with the martial arts. If you get a chance to see these Warrior Monks tour in your city, go for it! It’s an experience better seen live than in written form!
(Broadsword and Nail Bed sandwich topped with a slab of concrete!)
(photos courtesy of the Shaolin Warriors program)
Tags: kung fu, shaolin monks, shaolin warriors
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Bush Tetras playing (Le) Poisson Rouge tonight
November 29th, 2012 by chocko
Bush Tetras formed in the Lower East Side back in 1979 and played their crazy mix of new wave, funk, post-punk music in clubs such as CBGB and Max’s Kansas City. They’re probably best known for their song “Too Many Creeps” that climbed Billboard’s dance charts in 1981. Original members Cynthia Sley (vocals), Pat Place (guitar), Dee Pop (drums) along with Julia Murphy (bass) who joined the band in 2005 play with loads of energy and will definitely get you spazzing out in no time. Tonight they will be playing a record release party for their album Happy which was recorded in 1998! The show takes place at (le) poisson rouge in New York City. The first 50 through the door will receive a free copy of the new record. Show time is at 7:00 pm with opening act, Sediment Club.
We last saw Bush Tetras a couple months ago, rocking an outdoor show organized by WBAR Barnard College Radio. It was way uptown, far from the band’s natural habitat. Here are some photos and a video of the band performing “You Taste Like The Tropics” See you at tonight’s show! Look for Mr. C who most likely will be popping, locking and dropping it low.
BUSH TETRAS at the WBAR-B-Q XIX (Barnard College 04.28.12)
Tags: band, bush tetras, le poisson rouge, new york city, nyc. lower east side
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